Decisions about margin, stock and growth
Commercial and operational priorities need comparisons that reflect trading conditions, returns and available stock. We define the decision first and identify the store, category, product or channel detail needed to test the explanation.
- Which products or channels contribute to margin erosion?
- Where is stock ageing or tying up working capital?
- Which promotions warrant review after costs and returns?
- Where should replenishment or operational capacity receive attention?
Bring sales and inventory into context
Relevant inputs may include point-of-sale transactions, product hierarchies, cost records, stock snapshots and promotion calendars. Transaction lines and inventory snapshots have different reporting grains. We review how they should relate before combining them, including product changes, returns and store opening dates.
Agree the definitions before comparing
Net sales, gross margin, inventory turnover and sell-through need explicit definitions. The report should explain tax treatment, discounts, returns, the cost basis and reporting currency. Inventory measures also need an agreed snapshot date and treatment of unavailable or discontinued items. Comparisons should show which stores and periods are included.
From the performance gap to action priorities
We reconcile a relevant baseline and investigate the mix, cost, pricing or stock factors behind it with your business owners. Findings can include supporting evidence, unresolved questions and a prioritized list of actions or tests. Tableau reporting can then support the recurring review, with named owners for commercial follow-up, metric definitions and source updates.
Common questions
Can the reporting cover online and physical stores?
Yes, when the inputs support a consistent comparison. Order attribution, returns, currencies and product identifiers need to be agreed across channels.
Can sales and stock be shown together?
Yes. Sales periods and stock snapshots must be aligned deliberately so the report does not imply that an end-of-period balance describes every transaction in the period.